Internationalisation of tertiary education between New Zealand and China took another step forward with the official signing of an agreement with between the Universal College of Learning and the School of Electronics and Technology of Dongguan.
The Agreement, formalised between UCOL's Chief Executive Leeza Boyce and SETD's Principal Shenggyang Xiao during a signing ceremony in Dongguan, was attended by a number of senior government representatives from the Guangdong education bureau, 20 principals from vocational institutions around the province, as well as over 300 industry partners.
SETD is a senior vocational institution located in Southern China with approximately 14,000 students, and is one of the main training hubs for Dongguan city, where Guangzhou is recognised as the manufacturing hub of the world.
The collaboration is UCOL's first foray into China and the partnership has been recognised as an exemplar by the Guangzhou Education Bureau for the teaching of language pedagogy. Two of UCOL's academic staff will spend 17 weeks in China, developing academic relationships with STED's faculties and teaching English language to a cohort of 25 students. In early 2017, the cohort of students will travel to New Zealand where they will enroll in UCOL's Bachelor of Applied Management or Bachelor of Information and Communications Technology.
The agreement reflects UCOL's longer term objectives of contributing to the learning and developmental needs of China, and supporting Education New Zealand's goals to grow international education to $5b in 2025. UCOL Chief Executive Leeza Boyce said the Agreement provides a founding base for both institutions to contribute to the development and growth of China through broader tertiary study options. "I am very pleased that UCOL has taken this important step and demonstrating our support to grow international education opportunities. "I expect that UCOL will gain more understanding about the learning pedagogy of the Chinese systems by being located at SETD, and as the relationship develops at both academic and institutional levels, there is the potential to broaden subject areas and share joint initiatives, particularly in science and technology."